Bog-rosemary • Andromeda polifolia

IdentificationWhen in flower in the spring and summer, bog-rosemary is easily identified by its pink, urn-shaped flowers in clusters of 2-6, which often face downwards. It grows to 80 cm tall and has dull-green leathery leaves with the margins rolled under. The undersides of the leaves are white with a fine, waxy powder. The leaves appear similar to several other species in the region on the surface, so the undersides can be an important identifying feature when the plant is not in flower. Bog-rosemary does not lose its leaves in the winter.

Habitat & RangeThe plant is found, as the name suggests, in bogs, fens and swamps from low to subalpine elevations. The species is found all along the BC coast, north to Alaska and east across northern and parts of central Canada. It is circumpolar and so is found in northern Eurasia as well.